Train launch derailed over Anurag invite

Thakur had even dropped his foreign trip to Chile as member of the Parliamentary delegation since the Railway Ministry invited him to perform the ceremony. Amb is an industrial town which falls in Thakur’s parliamentary constituency.

However,after he had reached Una last evening,Thakur was told by the railway officials about the abrupt cancellation of the programme. Apparently,a top Himachal Pradesh Congress leader had spoken to the Minister of state for Railways asking for cancellation of the event.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was furious after being informed about the development. He spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday morning and lodged a strong protest against Virbhadra Singh.

“I told the Prime Minister about the mischief played by his cabinet minister Virbhadra Singh,who got a fixed programme cancelled purely on political considerations. This is never done especially when Himachal Pradesh has already suffered discrimination in railway expansion”,he told the Indian Express on Friday evening.

Dhumal demanded an inquiry as to who cancelled the ceremony when Anurag Thakur,chief Guest at the function,had already reached there.

“I asked if the sitting MP has no right to perform such ceremonies? To which Prime Minister was also surprised and assured to get the feedback”,Dhumal said.

At ground zero,Anurag Thakur also contacted the Prime Minister’s office for lodging his protest .

“Some officials in the PMO did respond to my calls and informed that an inquiry will be conducted regarding the matter”,he said.

Anurag Thakur,who is also the All India President of the BJYM — the youth wing of the BJP,said that if the train is not started within next 10 days,the activists of the organisation will go on a rail roko movement and would show black flags to Virbhadra Singh during his tours in Himachal Pradesh.

He also recalled having spoken to Virbhadra Singh after cancellation of the function and to this union minister said,“Since it was a central government project,a BJP MP has no right to flag off the train.”